BARCLAY SURNAME

Money for Amarilla must have been tight, she was having trouble paying her taxes on her land. Based on gossip from the local paper both her and George Urton did not seem to be in good health. Amarilla apparently suffered a slight heart attack in 1936 and in the same article George was not doing to well either. In 1937 Amarilla got into trouble with some wood.

Meets with Unfortunate Accident New Years: Mrs. George Urton had the misfortune of having a pile of wood fall on her on New Years Day. While in the basement gathering wood before building a fire, a stack of wood which had been piled to the ceiling fell on her, seriously cutting the back of her head and blacking her eye. A physician was called immediately to dress her wounds. She is recovering nicely. Pine River Journal January 7, 1937.

Gordon MacDonald, grandson of Mrs. Urton, arrived Saturday from St. Paul, to be with Msr. Urton who suffered a stroke last week and is still quite ill. He returned to St. Paul, Monday. Mrs. Urton is being cared for by Mrs. Frank Shepard. Pine River Journal 21, April, 1939.

She tried again for George Barclay’s Civil War pension and this time her grandson Gordon McDonald tried to help her. I actually think her friends rallied and made the attempt to get this pension for her.

Remarried Pension form for Civil War 1939 a portion

She had to fill out a Declaration for Remarried Widow’s Pension form again. The form was completed on 17 April, 1939. She was required to restate information about her marriage in 1878 to George Barclay, and write about her marriage to Jefferson S. Dawes in 1902 and their divorce in 1909. Lastly, she had to revisited her marriage to George Urton in 1919 and who died March 13, 1939 in Pine River. The form was signed by Ammarilla Urton and witnesses were Mrs. Frank Sheppard of Pine River and R.G. McDonald (Gordon) 1809 Marshall Ave. St. Paul, Min. She must have been very sick because she signed with an X.

A letter on State of Minnesota Adjutant General’s Office letterhead for St. Paul dated April 19, 1939 was sent to E. L. Bailey the Director, Dependant’s Claims Service, Veterans Administration, Washington D.C.

Mrs. Urton is eighty years of age and very sick and if her claim can be expedited in any way it will help her to take care of expenses. Also enclosed the following additional evidence 1) application for Remarried Civil War widow’s pension, 2) Coroner’s Inquest in the death of George Barclay 3) certified copy of public record of the marriage of Ammarilla Urton to the veteran, George A. Barclay July 27, 1878. Very truly yours E.A. Walsh, The Adjutant General.

They did not waste any time and Amarilla’s claim was denied the reason given: “forfeiture under act of August 7. 1882.”

I spent some time trying to find a copy of this Legal act that they refer to and here it is.

7 August 1882 c. 438 22 Stat. 345

CHAP. 438.- An act to amend section forty-seven hundred and two, title fifty-seven, Revised Statutes of the United States, and for other purposes.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section forty-seven hundred and two, title fifty-seven, of the Revised Statutes of the United States is hereby amended so as to read as follows:

“Sec. 4702. If any person embraced within the provisions of sections forty-six hundred and ninety-two and forty-six hundred and ninety-three has died since the fourth day of March, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, or hereafter dies, by reason of any wound, injury, or disease which under the conditions and limitations of such sections would have entitled him to an invalid pension had he been disabled, his widow or if there be no widow, or in case of her death without payment to her of any part of the pension hereinafter mentioned, his child or children under sixteen years of age, shall be entitled to receive the same pension as the husband or father would have been entitled to had he been totally disabled, to commence from the death of the husband or father, to continue to the widow during her widowhood, and to his child or children until they severally attain the age of sixteen years, and no longer; and if the widow remarry, the child or children shall be entitled from the date of remarriage, except when such widow has continued to draw the pension-money after her remarriage, in contravention of law, and such child or children have resided with and been supported by her, their pension will commence at the date to which the widow was last paid.”

SEC. 2. That marriages, except such as are mentioned in section forty-seven hundred and five of the Revised Statutes shall be proven in pension cases to be legal marriages according to the law of the place where the parties resided at the time of marriage or at the time when the right to pension accrued; and the open and notorious adulterous cohabitation of a widow who is a pensioner shall operate to terminate her pension from the commencement of such cohabitation.

APPROVED, August 7, 1882.

It is the Sec. 2 part that was the reason they denied Amarilla the pension. The Claims Service signed the denial on May 5, 1939. Mrs. Bertha Robideau and Mrs. Alice Leef gave their affidavits but apparently that didn’t help. Amarilla was told she could repeal the decision after a year.

George A. Barclay’s Civil War pension would not be awarded ever; however, the file would become very thick and has provided a great deal of information about George and Amarilla my great grandparents so I am happy. I am sad for her however.

Jefferson G. Dawes came to Pine River about 1899 for business reasons. He was a flour salesman. He ended up staying in Pine River and helping Amarilla manage her store and other businesses. He also got involved with the murder investigation for George A. Barclay’s death by testifying at the grand jury trial. Apparently J.G. made a move to try to get Pine River made the county seat in 1901. We know that George Barclay was not happy with Walker being selected. An article appeared in the Saint Paul Globe:

New County, Maybe. Cass Lake to be the prospective Seat of Government

Cass Lake, Minn, April 9, 1901, First Edition, page 3 – During the past week, the plans of a number of the residents of the southern portion of Cass county to move the county seat from Walker to Pine River, the southern residents in return to assist in creating a new county with Cass Lake as the county seat, have been made public. J.G. Dawes, a resident of Pine River, was here for several days and broached the subject to a number of prominent citizens.

He appears with Amarilla in the 1900 U.S. Federal Census as store clerk. In 1902 and they married in Minneapolis. He became mayor of Pine River and he and Amarilla platted the city of Pine River. He built the house in 1904 for Amarilla which still exists. He ventured out to Longville, about this time, and platted that town and built a hotel there.

After 1905, I have not been able to show that Amarilla or J.G. were together. So what happened to J.G. Dawes from about 1905 to 1919 when I pick up his trail again. Well J.G. Dawes, being the salesman he was, got a long just fine. Here are some articles about J.G. from the newspapers that I found very interesting.

The Brainerd Daily Dispatch, Friday, March 20, 1908, page 3, J.G. Dawes Back From Mexico, J.G. Dawes, of Pine River, in Brainerd on His Way Home from a Two Month’s Visit in Southwest. J.G. Dawes, for many years a prominent business man of Pine River, is in Brainerd on his way home from a two months’ visit to New Mexico. He also visited Mexico while there…He also visited Texas…

The Brainerd Dispatch on Tuesday, May 19, 1914, page 5 J.G. Dawes impresses visitors from Duluth, B.J. Madden and J.D. Campbell, large stockholders in the Cuyuna-Mille Lacs mine – In the city they met J.G. Dawes former mayor of Pine River, who now makes his headquarters in Brainerd and who is selling agricultural lands and stirring up immigration for Crow Wing county. He has some of the best kind of land for stock raising.

The Brainerd Dispatch on Friday, May 14, 1915 page 23 had an advertisement for the Dawes Farm Land Company, J.G. Dawes, Manager.

J.G. Dawes Company in Brainerd, the AD

The Brainerd Dispatch on Monday Nov. 6, 1916, page 5 – Value of Farms Lands Increase, J.G. Dawes of the Dawes Farm Land Agency, Gives Reasons Why an Advance is Due. Now is the Best time to Buy, Prices for Farm Products are the Highest Since the Civil War, Land at Bottom Price. This is a long article with J.G. giving his opinion about agricultural lands and it is quite interesting, here is a little bit: “In an interview accorded the Dispatch, J.G. Dawes, head of the Dawes Farm Land Agency, stated that now was the time to buy land, as in his opinion the bottom had been reached in prices, etc…But now the fear of war has vanished, and the political campaign will be over in a few days. With the prices of farm products still at such a high notch and stocks of all kinds of farm products so far below normal it will take at least three good average crops to replace our stocks to a normal condition….He goes on to encourage people to buy.

The Brainerd Dispatch presents another article on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 1919, page 5 with J.G. Dawes’ Plan Selling Farms, In These Days of Over Inflation of Land Values, Mr. Dawes has the Sanest Selling Plan. No Options are Allowed, Substantial First Payments are required on Land, Owner Continues Tenancy for Period….J.G. Dawes of the Dawes Land Co. of Brainerd has a plan which is conservative and just alike to buyer and seller, protecting especially the farmer wishing to sell his land.” The article is very detailed and went on about how the plan works.

The Brainerd Dispatch reports on in another very detailed article on Tuesday, August 25, 1925, page 1 that J.G. interacts with Chicago Big Capitalists. These men were taking options at Rocky Point on Gull Lake with an additional 400 acres adjacent. “As stated by J.G. Dawes, the difficulty of securing the options was negotiated by Wrigley’s agent hinges on acquiring additional land so as to get an acreage of 800 acres. The eventual price, it is claimed is between $50,000 and $60,000. Cottages are to be built for fifty Chicago millionaires, says Mr. Dawes…”

So we see from the above that J.G. Dawes was making his way in the world and doing well.

Stepping back in time a little we review that on 18 August, 1909 Amarilla was granted a divorce from J.G. Dawes. J.G. didn’t contest it even though he felt it was unfair. The terms of the divorce was divorce by cruel and inhuman manner which is a catch-all for just about any reason to get a divorce back then. In today’s world we have some form of no fault divorce.

I could not find J.G. in the 1910 census but he is tracked down by the Special Examiner for Civil War Pensions. This man found J.G. Dawes living in Brainerd in 1919 which is confirmed by the above articles from the newspaper. This places J.G. Dawes in the 1920 U.S. Federal Census there and he has not remarried.

Died in Brainerd, Crow Co., Minnesota. Residence 404 4th Ave NE., died on Oct. 4, 1933. Male, white, single. Born Mar 7, 1847 (1874 crossed out), 86 yrs, 6 mos. 27 days, occupation laborer, born in New York, father was James Daws and mother was Mary Ann Sooderhaus (spelling unclear). Birthplaces of both parents unknown. Information was a Mrs. M. Hall B…….Place of burial Brainerd on Oct. 6, 1933, signed by undertaker D.E. Whitney, filed 10/10/1933. He died of Cardiac Insufficiency and other complications.

A brief obituary appeared in the Crow Wing County Review about J.G. Dawes:

Aged Resident of City Succumbs, October 6, 1933, page 1.

J. G. Dawes, aged resident of Pine River and Brainerd died after a long illness Tuesday evening at the Brainerd City home. Funeral services were not announced yesterday. Mr. Dawes was well known resident of the area, having lived in Pine River for many years since, in fact, the early lumber days in this vicinity, and was involved in some of the early events of the community. He had been residing for some time in Brainerd, and for several years had made his home in the municipal home in Northeast Brainerd.

Funeral arrangements were being completed today for Jefferson G. Dawes, 86, who died in the city home early today. The deceased was born in New York, March 7, 1847.

Brainerd Journal Press, front page 1.

On October 6, 1933 this appears: Jefferson Dawes Dead, Jefferson Dawes, 86 year old, a familiar figure in Brainerd for the past few years, formerly being in the real estate business here, passed away Wednesday and the funeral was held today. Mr. Dawes was born in New York, March 7, 1847.

After searching, I was unable to locate a probate or estate record in the Crow Wing Court records for J.G. Dawes, which I find as odd. I now feel that I would like to do deed search on J.G. Dawes to see where it lead him. I was focusing on the Barclay’s so I had not really sought out J.G. Dawes.

On one of my trips to Minnesota, I visited the Evergreen Cemetery in Brainerd and sought out J.G. Dawes’ burial location and tombstone. Unfortunately, I was unable to find a tombstone for J.G. but he is buried there. The picture below is the approximate location of his grave. This cemetery is well-kept but even with the best care a stone can disappear. Whether he had one originally it is hard to say.

A PAGE at the top of this blog had a table of contents of the posts written about Amarilla and J.G. Dawes is listed as well. You will have to scroll down to find his section but remember you might need to read about Amarilla from about 1898 on so that you can understand how J.G. fits into the events of the town of Pine River.

I wish I could have learned more about his background, parents and family. I suspect that he had a sister in living in Brainerd, maybe that is the Mrs. Hall in the death certificate? If his parents came from England this means he is a newer line of the Dawes Family.

In 1930 Amarilla and George Urton are together and living in Pine River. She states in the census that her father was born in England but I think she is confusing him with her grandfather John A. Spracklin. Daniel D. Spracklin and her mother Elizabeth Keller Spracklin were born in Ohio.

Second Street, Line 73, 20/20 Urton, George, Head, own, no, male, white, 66 yrs, married, married at 56, no, yes, born in Ohio, both parents born in Ohio, trader of horses/cattle, yes, no, 2. Line 74. Urton, Ammarilla, white -H, V, female, white, age 71, married, married at 60 yrs., no, yes, born in Iowa, father born in England, mother born in Ohio, merchant, groceries, drygoods, yes.

Things would get tough for everyone in the 1930’s after the stock market crash. On October 29, 1929 Black Tuesday hit Wall Street and billions of dollars were lost wiping out thousands of investors. The Great Depression settled on the country.

Amarilla and George Urton appear in the records for Pine River having delinquent taxes, from 1924 to 1933 their total tax bill was $280.54 in 1935 from the County Assessors of Cass County for Lot 1 and 2 Urton 1st Addition.

Amarilla’s beautiful house was partitioned off into apartments at some point and I suspect it was in the 1930’s. This gossip from the local paper is for 1941 but I have seen evidence of this coming and going from the Urton residence going on all through the 1930’s.

Emily Jane Allgood Gilchrist was a daughter of Sarah Blacketer Allgood Spracklin. She is not related to me but was related to the second family of Daniel’s because of Sarah. I don’t think that Amarilla and Emily were close but I share this here because it is information I have about a connection to the Spracklins.

Emily was born on 6 May, 1857 in Rose Hill, Mahaska Co., Iowa to Charles Edward Allgood and Sarah Jane Blacketer. The family believes Emily was born in Iowa but the census says Indiana.

The family appears in the 1860 U.S. Census.

1627/1709, Edward Allgood, 31 years, farmer, 310, born Kentucky Sarah 23, housewife, born Indiana Emily Allgood, 3 born in Indiana Phebe D. Allgood under a year, born in Iowa

Emily was the only surviving child from this family, as far as I can tell, John, James, and Phoebe died very young. Her father Edward Allgood has been difficult to research. I have their marriage and the 1860 census but that is about it. Sarah Blacketer married Edward Allgood on 25 December, 1852 in Rockeville, Parke Co., Indiana and they migrated to Iowa.

I have written about Sarah’s family in other past posts on this blog. You can find them by finding the PAGE at the top of this blog about Daniel Spracklin. Open the page and there is a table of contents of the published posts on this blog.

Emily married William H. Gilchrist on 28 October, 1875 in Marengo, Iowa Co., Iowa. William was born 11 November, 1853 in Mahaska Co., Iowa and died 29 October, 1937. Emily died 29 October, 1925 and both are buried in the Jackson Cemetery in Rose Hill, Iowa. Find a Grave has memorials for them and pictures of their tombstone.

Source: Marriage Index, Iowa County, Vol. D, 1875-1881 Film#988202, Iowa County Genealogical Society, Now in North English, Iowa. Marriage of Emily J. Allgood to William Gilchrist, Iowa Co. at Marengo.

We find Emily and William in Mahaska Co., Iowa. They are there in the 1900 census with six of their eleven (11) children:

I could not find Emily and William in the 1920 U.S. Federal Census but I did find several of their children. Which I will present below in the overview of their family.

William and Emily are in the 1925 Iowa State Census living in Monroe, Mahaska Co., Iowa. This is the last census for Emily. It has been very difficult to find William and Emily in the census for both federal and state.

7. Birdie Anna Gilchrist was born 1 April, 1887 in Mahaska Co., and died 11 April, 1909 is buried in the Jackson Cemetery in Rose Hill. Find A Grave has a memorial with a tombstone photo. She married a Henry Gustavus Hedlund who was born 17 August, 1888 in Rose Hill, Mahaska Co., Iowa and died August 1979 in Oskaloosa, Mahaska Co., Iowa. He is buried in the Forest Cemetery in Oskaloosa. Find A Grave has a memorial with a tombstone photo and links. He was the son of Andrew Hedlund and Christina Lausen.

Henry remarried to a Nell O. Wesby on 4 January, 1912 in Mahaska Co., Iowa. If I could find a marriage for Henry to Birdie I would feel better about this section. Here is the marriage for Henry to Nell.

Source: Return of Marriages in the County of Mahaska, No. 118, 1/4/12, Andrew Hedlund gave consent for Henry Hedlund, Oskaloosa, Iowa, Farmer, 24 years old, white, born in Iowa to Nell Wesby of Fremont, daughter of John Westby, Jane [B____}. Witness was Ellen Hedlund and J. M. McClelland, Minister. He states it is his first marriage?

8. Sarah Emma Gilchrist was born 28 May, 1889 in Mahaska Co., Iowa and she died 22 February, 1978. She married on 13 November 1913 in Dickinson Co., Iowa to a Clayton Davis born about 1884. The name Sodie Emma was used in the marriage record.

Source: Return of Marriages in the county of Dickinson in Iowa. #300, Nov. 13, 1912, George Gilchrist gives consent for the marriage of Clayton Davis, Superior, Iowa, Farmer, age 29, white, first, born Herman, Nebraska to James M. Davis and [Clarie] Deaver, to Sadie/Sodie Emma Gilchrist of Superior, Iowa, age 24, white, Scotch-Irish, first, born Rose Hill, Mahaska, Iowa, to Wm. Gilchrist and Emma Jane Allgood, at Spirit Lake, Iowa November 13, 1913 (should be 1912), witnesses George Gilchrist, Edna Gilchrist and Edson M. Bell, Minister.

9. Edna Wildia Rill Gilchrist was born 11 July, 1891 in Rose Hill. She married a Walter Everhart Lenox on 14 April, 1915 in Emmet, Iowa. Walter died in 1950 and is buried in the Forest Cemetery in Oskaloosa, Mahaska Co., Iowa. Edna died in 1990 and is buried in the Forest Cemetery as well. Find A Grave has a memorial for both with links, photos and more.

Their son Cloyd V. Lenox was born 6 March, 1916 in Iowa and died 15 July, 1983 in Oskaloosa and he is also buried in the Forest Cemetery. Find A Grave has a memorial for him. He married on 2 January, 1943 to a Bonnie M. Daniels born 28 April 1917. They had a daughter names Linda who died and is buried in the Forest Cemetery with a memorial at Find A Grave and links to her husband.

10. George Iris Gilchrist was born 9 April, 1893 in Rose Hill. He married a Bessie Bell Goodge on 15 April, 1914, Emmet, Iowa. Bessie was born about 1896 to Sherman Goodge and Carline Slaight. They may have had: Alvin, Dale W, Clifford, Nellie Mae and Delmer. George died about 1990 in Solway, Beltrami Co., Minnesota and is buried in the Solway Cemetery there. Bessie died 1985 and is also buried in the Solway Cemetery. Find A Grave has a memorial for them.

In 1920 George and Bessie were living in Keokuk Co., Iowa. His brother Louis is with him.

George and Bessie attended the funeral of Charles Edward Spracklin in 1946, there are mentioned in the obituary for George’s uncle.

11. Louis Eugene Gilchrist was born 18 March, 1897 in What Cheer, Keokuk Co., Iowa and he died 1 December, 1982. He never married. In 1920 he is with his brother George and in 1930 he is living with his widowed father in Rose Hill, Mahaska Co., Iowa. He was also at the funeral of his uncle Charles Edward Spracklin in 1946 in Pine River.

So much more could be done on this family but I think this is where I will stop. It might be very interesting to seek out an estate file for William Gilchrist in October of 1937 in Mahaska County, Iowa to see if the children are listed and any other descendants. Other documents like obituaries, more census work and final resting places could be sought.

Amarilla had been married to George Angus Barclay who was murdered in 1898. She remarried to Jefferson G. Dawes in 1902 and that ended in divorce in 1910. In 1919 she decided to marry again for the third time.

This time Amarilla married George W. Urton on 24 June, 1919 in Pine River, Cass Co., Minnesota. The Logsleds Book states that she remarried in 1920 but that is not quite correct.

“She married for the third time to George Urton, an area farmer. The Urton marriage was contracted in her old age because she was lonely. The town banker saw to it that papers to protect her property were executed before the wedding.” Ammarilla stayed married to George Urton until he died in 1939. So that was almost 20 years. Source: M. McDonald Notes.

Urton-Dawes: George Urton and Mrs. Amarilla Dawes were united in matrimony last Tuesday evening, Rev. Cartwright officiating. Both of the contracting parties are well-known in this part of the county, the groom having been a resident here for several years past, and the bride, being one of the real pioneers of Pine River. It is expected that they will make their home in Pine River, and the Sentinel-Blaze joins their many friends in wishing them a full measure of happiness in their new relation. June 27, 1919 Pine River Sentinel-Blaze Newspaper.

George Urton was born 5 May, 1862 in Ohio to an Ezra Urton and Mary Ann Wilson. He was a horse trader by occupation. George was first married to Serepta Littleton born 14 November, 1864 in Ohio and died 13 January 1915 in Brainerd, Minnesota. She was the daughter of Jona Littleton and Lucresia Liddle. She is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery but there is no tombstone to mark her grave, I have visited this cemetery several times and can verify that she has no tombstone. Here is the link to the Evergreen Cemetery directory of the dead: http://www.brainerd.net/~evergreencem/dotdnames_u-v.html

Serepta Urton burial location in Evergreen Cemetery – no stone

George and Serepta had three children that I know of: 1) George Urton born about 1894. 2) Albert Urton who died about 1929 and, 3) an unknown child.

George, the son, married Mary Pederson on 3 August, 1915 in Walker, Minnesota. My search in the census did not find them so I was unable to verify any of this information. I do have their marriage license.

As they say “3’s a charm,” and I think that this was probably my great grandmother’s happiest marriage of the three. She stayed with Urton right up to his death. The fact that she didn’t pursue the pension application of George Barclay of 1916-1919, means to me that she cared for Mr. Urton.

In the 1920 U.S. Federal Census we find Amarilla with George Urton in Pine River.

Street EM, House #110, Dwelling 115, Family 9, Urton, George, Head, own home, free of mortgage, male, white, 56 years old, married, able to read and write, born in Ohio, parents both born in Ohio, farmer. Urton, Ammarilla, wife, female, white, 61 yrs old, married, able to read and write, at home born in Iowa. Parents born in Ohio.

On my visit to Pine River in 2001, I had the opportunity to talk to a Blanche Swift who had lived in Pine River since her birth about 1919. I think Blanche has since pasted away. Miriam is Amarilla’s granddaughter.

Blanche knew Amarilla as a child. She remembered playing on the steps outside of Amarilla’s store and great-grandmother didn’t seem to mind or get after them for doing it. She recalled lots of hats, general merchandise, some groceries, and sewing items. She remembered Miriam who visited a couple of times. They all thought that the Lindberg Store on Barclay Avenue was the general store or maybe it was where the Bank was located. Blanche’s dad trained horses and he and George Urton were friends.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a photo of Amarilla with George Urton. Having it would have been very cool.

Every time the laws were changed and passed a new round of submissions for Civil War pensions would follow. In 1916, Amarilla tried again to obtain George Barclay’s Civil War Pension. This meant that she had to fill out the Declaration for Widow’s Pension form to get things started. The Barclay Hotel burned down in 1915 and it appears she had to seek out another set of marriage, divorce and other papers if she could not find them in her home or hotel and resubmit.

I find that interesting because the government had a 2 inch file on George’s Pension which I obtained from the VA not the National Archives. Of course the Veteran’s Administration really didn’t start till 1921.

The National Civil War Museum Entrance in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

This Widow’s form was filed on 24 October, 1916 and submitted. As far as I can tell the process took till July of 1919 to finally come to an end. The application was being considered for pension a total of three years in process.

Here is a summary of what happened. In these documents her name is spelled Ammarilla and the last name is Barcklay.

Summary of this attempt at obtaining George Angus Barclay’s Civil War Pension 1916 to 1919

October 24, 1916: Declaration for Widow’s Pension signed and forwarded.

March 2, 1917: Overview card for Remarried Widow of George. A. Barclay with summary of the file.

They want testimony from two credible witnesses who knew the soldier from the time he attained marriageable age, showing whether he had been previously married with further instructions in order to comply etc… Signed by the Commissioner.

April 13, 1917: Letter from the Auditor for the War Department to Treasury Department, Wash D.C.

….For use in the above-cited claim for pension, please furnish a tracing of the soldier’s signature, and loan to this Bureau any papers that may have been filed in a claim for arrears of pay or bounty based on his service. Signed by the Commissioner

May 12, 1917: Letter from Treasury Department to Commissioner of Pensions, Wash D.C. for Bounty:

An application was filed December 17, 1867, in the Paymaster General’s Office, War Department, for bounty under Act of July 28, 1866, by George Barclay, late of Co. I, 9th Minn. Inf. and said application is herewith transmitted with the request that the same be returned to this office at the earliest practicable date. Signed by a J.L. Baity Auditor. (No copy of this bounty claim was in the pension file).

August 25, 1917: General Affidavit

General Affidavit, Minnesota, Cass County, Personally came before me ____Shiller in and aforesaid County and State Ammarilla Dawes age 58 years, residing in Pine River, Cass Co., Minn. who being dully sworn, declares:

That her husband’s full and correct name was George Angus Barclay and he was born in Connecticut. His age at enlistment as nearly as she can compute was between 16 & 18 (he was 18), and his occupation when he enlisted was farmer, and when he enlisted he lived at Shakopee. She further states that his height was 5 feet 6 inches, his complexion dark, color of eyes dark brown, hair dark, and as to marks and scars she states he had none that she knows of. She further states that her own maiden name was Spracklin and that after the soldier George Angus Barclay died she was remarried to Jefferson G. Dawes from whom she was divorced in the year 1910 on her own application. She further states as to any former marriages of the solider George Angus Barclay that he was never married until he married the affiant and that she states that she was never married before she married George Angus Barclay. Signed Ammarilla Dawes, and F……Shiller, 25 August 1917. Notary Public seal.

September 10, 1917: General Affidavit.

That her various places and dates of residence since the death of the soldier, Geo. Barclay, have been Pine River, Cass Co., Minnesota.

Cover form from Department of the Interior, Bureau of Pensions card with summary of contents. This is like their cover piece.

September 18, 1917: General Affidavit:

John Leef, age 55 residing in Pine River, Cass Co. and Mrs. J. P. Leef aged 50 years. That they have been personally acquainted with the claimant, Ammarilla Dawes since of the date of the death of the solider, George Barclay and that she has not been married since that time other than to Mr. Dawes who divorced.

November 27, 1917: A note asking for more information about the marriage to Dawes.

January 17, 1918: State of Minnesota, District Court, Co. of Hennepin – the Marriage License of Jefferson and Ammarilla Barclay 2 September 1902 was submitted to the Commissioner.

February 5, 1918: Additional Evidence General Affidavit.

That her husband, Jefferson G. Dawes, did not render any military or naval service to the United States in any capacity.

July 9, 1918: This was a note/letter talking about rules about pensions and the marriage of Jefferson G. Dawes and the name and service of George Barclay etc.

July 22, 1918: Returning of documents by Auditor of the War Department, and their divorce papers are submitted by Cass Courthouse County, Minnesota.

March 3, 1919: Miscellaneous papers contained in the pension file. April 22, 1919 and on April 25, 1919 a formal letter to the Postmaster…. a H.M. Vandervort requesting more information about the situation – ret’d to Chief _______to call on Postmaster at Pine River, Minn. and determine whether she has remarried and what her standing and reputation in the community since February 1, 1910.

The report back is not good something about her living with a man by the name of George Urton and it is not known if they are married. Her reputation is mixed.

May 18, 1919: A letter was sent to the Chief and Special Examination Division requesting a special investigation to 1) to determine whether she has remarried more than once and after her divorce from Dawes which would jeopardize the pension. 2) They then wanted to know her involvement in George’s death. 3) a Mr. Young was assigned the task of investigating Amarilla Barclay Dawes.

June 7, 1919: A letter telling the Postmaster that they want to personally interview Amarilla and J.G. Dawes, Mr. and Mrs. Leef, please supply information about where they were living, Signed by E. W. Young, Special Examiner.

June 20th, 1919: Letter to Mr. E.W. Young signed by A.K. McPherson, Clerk of the Court, Walker, Minn. He states he finds no evidence in the proceedings of the Coroners inquest that show that any suspicion was lodged against the Widow of the deceased G. A. Barclay.

June 21, 1919 – letter to the Commissioner of Pensions. He is submitting his report with documents on the Claim for George’s pension and E.W. Young’s investigation. I have moved this ahead of the depositions of J.G. and Amarilla of E.W. Young:

He took the deposition in Brainerd from J.G. Dawes. While husband of the claimant he was also mayor of Pine River and that he was regarded as something of a four-flusher which was reference to his business transactions and he says he observed this behavior in J.G. The special examiner believed J.G.’s testimony about Amarilla. He then went to Pine River and didn’t tell Amarilla about his interview with J.G. prior to visiting her. She is now engaged to George Urton who lives with her. Then the special examiners remembers George that this soldier was a storekeeper, saloonist, postmaster, logger and big in the area, also a hotel keeper and his death and the gossip. The case appears for final action.

Deposition of J.G. Dawes, June 18, 1919 in Brainerd, Minn. This is a summary not a full transcription.

My age is 70 years last March, my residence and address are Brainerd, MN in real estate business. I got married to Rilla Barcklay in Minneapolis date do not remember, but some 15 or 16 years ago. I did not know her husband in his lifetime. Became acquainted with her at Pine River when I was there on a matter of business. She was in the logging and store business there and wanted me to manage it for her, offering me half. I took it and turned over to her probably as much as $10,000. He then makes comments about Grace and Ronald which are not good…She and I always lived together after our marriage, until the separation in Pine River, where I built her home she now has….I did not get a divorce from her. She got it from me. I let her get it. He comments about the divorce are not good. Then Mr. Young asked about her reputation and her conduct during the marriage. J.G. proceeds to give details about her behavior which are not good…He states he has no interest in her pension claim and nothing against it.

Deposition of Amarilla Dawes, June 19, 1919 in Pine River, MN. This is a summary and not a full transcription.

My residence and address are Pine River, Cass Co., Minn, am keeping house, I am claiming pension as the widow of George. A. Barcklay who was a Civil War Soldier. He was not a pensioner. My only claim to pension has been made on account of him. He was in the I, 9 Minn. Inf. I married Jefferson G. Dawes after Barcklay’s death, date do not remember. Married him at Minneapolis and got divorced from him going to Bemidji to meet the judge, I guess the papers are in Walker….She talks about George Urton and that she is engaged to be married. Mr. Young proceeds to ask her questions about her conduct and she replies refuting J.G.’s comments. I was never accused of having anything to do with Mr. Barcklay’s death, except by Mr. Dawes. She mentions Louis Bebeau being arrested, tried and acquitted of the murder of her husband. I would rather forgo any pension I might possibility get than to have this read in the presence of witnesses or to have any further inquiry made about it.

July 8, 1919: Wid. Org. Ammarilla former widow of Geo. A. Barclay…Pension is rejected warranted on the facts show in this claim? 1) Adulterous cohabitation while claimant was the wife of J.C. Dawes is no bar to pension. 2) There is nothing to show adulterous cohabitation after claimant’s divorce from Dawes until Sept/Oct 1918.

July 10, 1919: Another statement, our further consideration of the case and in view of claimant’s statement before the special examiner that she would rather foregoing any pension she might possibly get than to have her deposition read in the presence of witnesses or to have any further inquiry made about it. The claim may be rejected as if now stands on the ground of abandonment of further prosecution of same as declared in her deposition taken by special examiner on June 191, 1919. Signed A.A. Aspenwall, Chief, Board of Review.

On July 22, 1919: C.M. Saltzgaber, Commissioner writes to W. Elliott Waggaman, Atty, Wash D.C. and to Amarilla that the claim is rejected on the ground of the claim’s abandonment of further prosecution of claim etc.

Well, isn’t this a fine pickle. I really am proud of my great-grandmother for abandoning the pension claim. I think both her and J.G. did not have any understanding of what was happening and it appears they were not informed by Mr. Young that he was going to approach them both. It was unfortunate but not uncommon that this type of investigation occurred.

It seems to me the facts were: 1) Whether George was a soldier and what was his service; 2) that George and Amarilla were married, where and when; 3) when did George die; 4) after George’s death her remarriage to J.G. Dawes, where and when; 5) and that Amarilla divorced Dawes in 1910; 6) she had not remarried but was engaged to George Urton in 1918. These are the facts to me, anything else is irrelevant, but this apparently was not the case as the quote below presents:

The Commissioner of Pensions refused to issue a certificate to allow pension under the special act on the ground the evidence shows that since the passage of the act of August 7, 1882, and prior to an since the approval of the special act, the claimant has been guilty of open and notorious adulterous cohabitation. Appeal was entered August 14, 1919.

One of the general provisions of the pension laws is as follows: the open and notorious adulterous cohabitation of a widow who is a pensioner shall operate to terminate her pension from the commencement of such cohabitation. Act of August 7, 1882, sec. 2, 22 Stat., 345.

Source: Decisions of the Department of the Interior in Appealed Pension and Bounty Claims, Editors John W. Bixler and Ralph W. Kirkham, Google Books. page 441.

Amarilla would try one more time in 1939 for George’s pension and get a little help from her grandson Gordon. If you are wondering what the term “four-flusher” used to describe J.G. means it is a reference to the game of poker and how someone presents a certain face to others. I have posted about J.G. Dawes on this blog and you can review his posts and Amarilla’s just go to the Page at the top of this blog that covers George and Amarilla’s table of contents of posts written.

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Things to Ponder

The header photo of the Mississippi River near Brainerd and the headwaters of the river. From the Minnesota Nature Conservancy Website.

Leola May Blinn may be the daughter of Sarah A. Blinn a sister of George and Alexander. I have added new information as of 6/10/2016 to the post about another of Alexander's siblings. Just put Leola into the search engine and you should find the information.

Table of content pages have been added to the top of this blog. Each page covers a family grouping and the posts published on this blog about that family and other blogs that I write on. HOVER over the titles at the top of this page and other pages titles will drop down. 1/22/2016

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